An industry essay warned that many small, residential colleges treat long‑standing academic and cost structures as inevitabilities rather than choices, and that layering auxiliary revenue streams on legacy systems risks compounding financial strain. The author argued institutions should redesign academic portfolios, delivery models, and faculty workload intentionally to preserve mission and affordability. Recommended actions include sharing general‑education courses across consortia while keeping signature programs in‑house, rethinking calendar and course formats, and redesigning faculty roles to lower per‑credit costs without diluting instructional quality. The piece positions